sleep strike?!?!

When Ben was born, I quickly put him on a schedule, routine, what ever you want to call it. I don't function too well when I don't know what we're doing, when we're doing it, what's next, at what time, and I"m assured it will all be done by 10 pm so I can go to bed. Sounds a bit controlling when I write it all out like that, but I don't like to leave anything to chance...especially my precious 8 hours of beauty sleep. From the beginning it appeared that Ben LOVED this safe, consistent world of love that I closely managed for him. He was thriving. Always happy. A joy to be around. And when bedtime came, anywhere between 7:00 and 7:05 pm....he was ready, willing and able to walk his cute little buns down the hall, saying "horse, horse, horse" and "night night" all the way as if he was looking forward to it. With help from me, he would get in his crib, put his pacifier in his mouth, roll over and go to sleep. Friends and baby sitters commented on how EASILY he went to sleep. The same held true for nap time. Were we blessed? Or was it just amazing parenting? I didn't care which one.

It should be noted at this point that my husband hates bed time. As a child he hated bed time and he still (at this age) hates bed time. He often refuses to go to bed, says "I don't have to if I don't want to" (in different words) and finds all sorts of things (I'm sure really important things that can only be done after midnight) to do, research, read, watch, listen to....etc at all hours of the night. He often comes to bed hours after I have settled in for my great 8, or even better 9 hours of sleep.

All this to say that SOMETHING happened to completely rock my sweet Ben out of this perfect sleep behavior last week. Starting Tuesday night, I laid him in his bed and quickly left the room (like I do every sleep time every day) and shut the door. He proceeded to stand up and throw his horse and pacifier out of the crib and cry for the next 2 hours. It was such a hysterical cry that I kept going in thinking something was really really wrong. This first night, turned into the next, then nap times....even mentioning "night night" sent him into hysterics. He resisted PJs. And wouldn't get out of the bath...knowing that was one step closer to bed time. Had he and "horse" gotten in a fight that I didn't know about? Was there a lost pea under the mattress? A horrible nightmare about all parks shutting down or a food shortage?....wait....did Greg tell him he didn't have to go to bed if he didn't want to?!?!?!?!?!

I do not know what caused this change in (person....a totally different child!) behavior. What I do know is that I've resorted to bottles, rocking, reading, singing, bribing....I'd nurse him now if I could to get him to sleep!

Fast forward a week...you will be happy (and I will be sane) to know that Ben has eased back into his old, healthy, easy to sleep habits. And a light bulb went off at bible study this morning that the whole ordeal was probably caused by the crazy child care schedule we've been keeping the last 6 weeks. Little Ben just needed a little love (and a routine!)